The Next Day
by TheSingingPterodactyl
Summary: Connor loses it. After Cutter's death all he does is act okay, but Abby knows better and pushes him too far until he cracks. Sequel to "Nightmare" but can be read without being anyway confused. One-Shot. Please R&R!


**Disclaimer: I do not own Primeval or it's characters. No copyright intended.**

**A/N: The other day I decided I wanted to write some Connor and Abby angst, and then I decided I really wanted to write Connor angry. He never lost his temper in the show (except in Series 2, the mer-creature episode when Abby disappeared, a little bit in 3 when Danny kicks them out of the house, and in Series 5 when he found Abby in the lab going through his things) and sooner or later if you bottle it up enough, the bottle will crack from the pressure. So! This is Connor and Abby getting over Cutter's death. In a way it's a sequel to my very short One-Shot "Nightmare".**

**Please R&R! Just to tell me what you think? Reviews make me happy and keep me writing. **

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Abby's eyes opened from the sensation of the sun beaming through the window and grazing her skin, she rolled to her side to see her clock standing on the time 6:34 A.M. and a panic rushed through her. She was going to be late for work-!

Then it hit her. She didn't have to be at work early today, Jenny told her so. Yesterday was an impossibly hard day for all of them, yesterday was the day Cutter… She hated to think about it. If she thought about it then she'd start to cry.

Abby crawled to the other side of her bed and peaked over, finding herself to be surprised when no one was there. She had cried all night and Connor, without letting out in sort of notion that he was upset as well, just held her in his arms and silently cried as she tried to emotionally deal with the loss. She knew Connor was upset, there was no doubt about that, but what got her is that he wouldn't let anyone know that. The more Abby knew Connor, the more she realized how often he smiled and made jokes for everybody else's sakes, trying to convince him that being sad or angry wasn't who he was. And it wasn't, it took a lot to make Connor angry, and a lot to make him truly sad – but he seemed to want people to think he wasn't human. Everyone got angry, everyone got sad, everyone cried and everyone yelled but Connor always tried not to.

Abby sighed; she had hoped he would have slept in longer. He was probably downstairs drowning his sorrows in video games. She remembered when Tom or Stephen died that he played video games nonstop for days at end. Her legs dangled off the bed and she stood on her feet, making her way out of her room. Once she opened the door Rex came swooping in, which wasn't very common for Rex – he usually just stuck with Connor when he was up first. She started to think maybe he just went to bed after she had fallen asleep, which almost hurt her since she asked for him to stay with her that night.

"Bloody-!" Connor shouted. He was awake, but he didn't sound very happy. She looked around and guessed he must be up in his loft.

"Connor?" she called out, sounding more worried than usual.

"Yeah?" he answered almost instantly – it was coming from his loft, he was probably getting dressed or something.

"Come down for breakfast, yeah?" this time he made no response. She just heard shuffling and assumed it meant he was coming down. She walked into the kitchen and got out eggs from the fridge, seeing Rex fly down beside her and chirp. "Morning to you too, Rex." She heard a big thud from the loft which made her flinch and looked back at Rex. "Daddy's not in a very good mood, is he now?" Rex chirped again and she smiled, just from the thought that he seems to talk back. "Don't worry, he'll be okay."

"Who'll be okay?" Abby jumped from the sound of Connor's voice. She turned around to see Connor dressed with a cup of coffee in his hand and a smile on his face. A smile that looked too unnatural for words.

"No one… Are you okay? I- I heard a bunch of stomping aroun' and big thuds every now and then. Starting to think an anomaly opened."

"Hm? Oh yeah, I couldn't find me trousers. I had to find new ones 'cause the ones I was wearin' Rex had left a little gift for me." Abby looked down at Rex with a glare. It wasn't very often that Rex would mess where he wasn't supposed to, but she knew he did still sometimes so she believed it.

"I'm sorry, don't know what got into him. Oh, speaking of creatures, what about those two diictodon? We're still keeping 'em, right?"

"I-uhh…" Connor looked Abby in the eyes, she thought it odd for him to hesitate about keeping any kind of creature, but she did see it making sense. It made him think back about yesterday. The day he was trying to forget, and Abby seemed to already forget. "Sure, if you want. They're still at the ARC for now, but we can bring 'em home today after work. Speakin' of, aren't you gettin' dressed or is it 'wear your PJ's to work day' and I wasn't informed?" he teased her. Abby looked down dazed, and then looked back up at him lost at what was going on. Suddenly it dawned on her what he actually said and she replied.

"Connor, actually … Jenny told us to not come in so early and…" she saw the dark circles drooping under his eyes, seeing his smile almost hurt as she knew it wasn't real. He wasn't happy – he was just trying to seem like it for her, and for everyone else. "I think its best, stay in for a while."

"Abby, I can't, I gotta get the ADD back up and running before another anomaly-"

"Connor, please." She cut him off, wishing to see that gleam in his eye that she used to see every morning. Seeing the doubt he still possessed she continued. "For me." He finally nodded and sat his cup down, staring at the counter top. He was trying so hard to keep it together, and seeing him like this wasn't helping her any either.

What scared her is Connor wasn't just sad, he wasn't just angry, he was furious. Furious at Helen, furious at himself, even furious at Cutter and seeing Connor like this… it was hard to bare. "Thank you." Abby said very quiet and hushed. Connor's eyes looked up at her, she could see the pain he was hiding just by one look.

"It's fine, there shouldn't be an anomaly anyway-"

"Not for that, Connor." He quickly looked away, standing completely still, as if not moving was going to help. "You stayed with me and you didn't have to, I … it means a lot, all I'm tryin' to say." Connor forced a nod, staring at the counter. For a moment after he didn't move, but finally he looked back up at her with a stone cold face and shrugged.

"Nothing, really." Suddenly, she felt something about him change. Abby took a deep breath, accepting the words that felt to be stabbing her in the gut and making it hard to swallow.

"When did you get up?" she asked, knowing he'd rather them be silent, but it just gave him time to shove all his emotions down and pretend it never happened.

"Not that early." He said with a cold voice.

"Six is already early, Conn." She reminded and Connor looked at her in the eyes, holding back the tears that begged to come out.

"I-! …" he held it back, not wanting to say anything, but especially not yell. "It was 'round five, I suppose." And he turned away, walking into the living area. She wanted to call him back, but she decided if she wanted him to stay home for now then she should let him walk away. She heard him head up the steps when another thud came crashing down to the floor and Connor cried out in pain.

"Connor!" she rushed in the room to see him sitting on the floor holding his leg. "Connor, what happened?" she gently knelt down beside him to see the rip in his trousers. Abby started to reach for it.

"It's fine, Abby!" she jerked back her hand, surprised at the volume he just yelled out. Connor hardly lost his temper, so when he did – she didn't expect it. Though she had been expecting this. "Just …" he sighed, looking at the material. "Course, more clothes to be thrown away."

"I'm sorry Connor, how did you-?" Connor jolted up from the floor, leaving Abby still at the end of the stairs as he walked into the kitchen again. After a few minutes of sitting on the floor in shock of his reaction, she sheepishly walked back in the kitchen to see him drinking the coffee he left on the counter top. "Connor, are you okay?" She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from him.

"Fine." he said with a very sharp and harsh voice.

"You…" She took a deep breath in and just said it. "You know you can talk to me, right? You don't have to bottle it up, everyone's upset about Cutter-" suddenly in a gust of rage Connor slammed his mug to the counter, Abby froze as he numbingly gripped a tight hold to the mugs handle and made no sound. "Connor-"

"Don't." he snapped. Abby was taken aback from his demeanor, she knew why he was acting like this, but she'd never seen him so mad.

"Don't what?"

"Don't say my name, don't say his name, don't mention yesterday! Don't-!" his tone started to raise louder and louder, his jaw clenched, his eyes were hard and angry and his hand was balled into a fist as his other seemed to grip tighter to the mug. Abby knew Connor would never hurt her, but this … this wasn't even Connor. And it scared her.

"Connor, yesterday was hard but this-" and before she could finish the mug Connor clutched to his fingers was thrown against the wall, shattering around the room. Abby gasped and stepped back, seeing Connor whip his hands through his hair, pacing back and forth until finally he stopped back to the counter and slammed his fist down, landing on the glass.

"Yesterday was _hard_?" he finally said in a whimpering, tensed growl. "You think it was **_hard_**? I'd just love to ask **_Helen_** how **_bloody hard _**it was for **_her!_**"

"Connor, calm down-!"

"She **_murdered_** him! Her own bloody husband for **_god's sake_**- and she shot him! Leaving him to die alone in a burning down building **_that she caused to blow up_**!" his eyes were big, the veins in his neck stuck out and he looked for something to outlet more of his fury. He wouldn't even look at her, too focused on whatever was in front of him. Again he banged both hands to the counter, the stoneware from the mug bashing into his palms. He stood there, taking deep breaths until finally he lifted his eyes to see Abby staring at him, terrified. "_Now_ I scare you?" he rustled, his throat sounding raspy and rigid.

"I…" Abby didn't know what to say as he stared at her, wanting some kind of an answer. She was speechless, she had seen Connor mad before, but this was- she didn't even know. All she knew is that he **_was_** scaring her. At that last moment of silence Connor let out a chuckle, but it wasn't happy or even forced, it almost sound deranged. It didn't sound like Connor's laugh and it came out even more, like he had heard a joke, like something was in a way amusing.

"Now _I've _become the villain." Abby hardly even heard what he said, but she understood. Hearing that Abby wanted to assure him otherwise but before she could speak she saw him walking out of the kitchen and stalking near her. Abby didn't move; she was too afraid too. Connor came intensely close, looking into her eyes, as if searching for some kind of answer to his rage. A tear trickled down her cheek, Connor's instinct reached out to push it away but before he could touch her Abby grabbed his wrist, gripping it tight. He yanked his arm from her grasp and backed away from her. He looked down at his bleeding hands and precipitously bellowed out a loud roar, screaming at nothing but his own defeat, tears streaming down his face. With one more strike to the kitchen surface his growl echoed into a sob – long, collapsing cries as his legs gave in and he sunk to the floor.

Abby stood motionless, her emotions crippling her body into one stance. Her eyes watched as Connor sobbed, finally letting out the grief he'd been bottling away. She dared to come near him, never knowing what to do. A flash of last night came across her mind, Connor held her and stayed with her – she needed him. Now Connor needed her. Her feet stepped forward and knelt down, making a seat beside him. She placed her hand on his back, soothing circles to comfort him as he cried. Connor looked up at her, his cries stopping. His big brown eyes were full of misery and anguish and he opened his mouth to speak.

"It's all my fault." His voice cracked. "Cutter's dead and it's all my fault." she brushed the tears from his eyes, washing the blood from his hands away as she spoke.

"It's not." She whispered in a warming voice. He gazed at her, seeing a scrape on her cheek lightly dripping blood. He cupped the side of her face, more tears streaking down.

"_Oh god_," he looked her in the eyes, a wail pleading out of his throat. "Did I do that to you?" Abby didn't even realize her face had been bleeding, when he shattered the cup a piece of ceramic must have hit her cheek without her realizing. Abby stilled her hand over his and shook her head, uttering out a gentled no. "I'm…" he breathed in, seeing the scratch he caused her just from rage. "I'm no better than her…"

"No!" Abby clutched his hand and turned his head to look at her. Tears wallowed in his eyes, defeat wrenching through him. She clasped his face with her palms, looking him in the eyes, her thumbs stroking his tears, tears sinking down her own face. "Connor Temple," she managed out through the lump that stumped her throat. "You are **_nothing_** like her."

Connor shook his head, letting out a cry as he glanced to his lap and looked back in her eyes. "How do you know?"

Abby let a smile slip past her lips from the thought of Connor being anything but good. "Because I know you." Connor looked away, trying to disagree but Abby caught his eye and gave him a smile. "You are strong, and loyal, and loving and brave and good, Connor. You are everything that she is not – don't you_ dare_ tell me I don't know, because if I know anyone …" Abby paused, looking into his eyes to see the same man she always knew. The man she loved. "I know you." Connor reached for her cheek, catching another tear that left her eye. He didn't say anything; he just looked at her with loving eyes and looked back down as her hands fell to his and she squeezed them tight.

"Abs…" he started. His eyes once again lifted to see hers and tears began to roll down his face before letting out another sob. "How can we do this without him?" Abby pulled him into her embrace as his incessant cries escaped him. She grasped Connor in her arms as he cried, her own tears lurching out as she whispered soothing words of comfort and love.

"We'll find a way. Together." Though it hurt her to see him like this, she was glad Connor was finally letting his emotions out. She couldn't stand to lose him, too.

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Jenny stood at the railing as she watched the tech fanatics scurry around, trying to work this machine up without the hands of the one who invented it. Lester strolled out, bags under his eyes and exhausted sigh rolling out if his lungs.

"They never came in today." Jenny informed him. Lester looked at her, and back at the scattered ADD. He nodded and stood beside her, seeing the red in her eyes and the matted hair that obviously hadn't been cleaned or brushed.

"Good." He finally answered, she looked at him a bit confused and he avoided seeing the smile that spread across her face. "You should go home, get some sleep as well." Before walking back to his put-back-together-office he finished. "We can all start back to work tomorrow."

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**_So? haha I hope you liked it, Reviews are immensely encouraged! _**_**Thanks for reading!**_


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